But there's also a lot to praise with Windows 8. It represents not only technical improvements (Windows 8 boasts numerous core app, system admin, and performance improvements over Windows 7), but also creative panache in craft a colorful, intuitive new brand of user interface.

I. Release Preview Lands in June

All Things Digital's Ina Fried reports that Microsoft's Windows President Steven Sinofsky has pegged the first week of June for the release of the third major test build of Windows 8, the Release Preview.

The second (and current) preview was the Consumer Preview. Microsoft has done a bit of renaming from the Windows 7 test build process -- the Consumer Preview fills an identical niche to Windows 7's consumer Beta build. The Consumer Preview featured 100,000 changes and bug fixes from the Developer Preview and has been downloaded more than 1 million times.

With the new OS slated for an October launch, the Release Preview will likely be the final test build -- akin to Windows 7's Release Candidate. It is expected to include tens of thousands of improvements based on the Consumer Preview feedback, easily surpassing the 2,000+ improvements generated by Windows 7's public beta process.

The latest test build of Windows 8 will soon be upon us. [Image Source: All Things Digital]

The announcement by Mr. Sinofsky was delivered at the Windows Developer Days event in Japan this week. For better or worse Mr. Sinofsky has driven the UI revolution at Microsoft. Coming in on the tail end of the Vista launch, he had a tough task ahead breathing life into the Windows team, which some members of the media and analysts claimed was "dying".

Our sources close to Ford Motor Comp. (F) recently indicated that a Windows 8 variant will likely drive the next generation successor to MyFord Touch.

This is an interesting, but not altogether unexpected development. Microsoft has long produced the OS used by Ford -- Windows Embedded Automotive, and the latest version (v7), was built on a trimmed down version of Windows 7.

But the information is also interesting because of the highlighted implications for Ford, and the industry in general.

Windows 8 in many ways represents a solution to many of Ford's headaches. While Ford is undeniably the leader in automotive infotainment with the most features and the most cohesive user interface, it also has suffered from growing pains. As the feature set grew, Ford has been compelled to contract out user interface development to third-party partners at times, and has found those partners to not always produce work of the same high quality as Ford's.

Ford is reportedly preparing to use a customized Metro UI (right) in the next generation successor to MyFord Touch (right). [Image Sources: My Microsoft Life (right); Ford (left)]

The perfect example of where third-party software burned Ford is the early versions of MyFord Touch which suffered speed and stability issues, issues reportedly (according to my past sources) largely attributable to third party code. The issues were finally addressed when Ford essentially redid its partner's work, revamping the OS and committing to a costly internal rewrite.

The answer to Ford's frustration is Windows 8. The Metro UI is seemingly a perfect fit for a next generation Ford infotainment system. In terms of current products, it will be kind of like Windows Phone on your car. With its built-in XAML/C# (and possibly Silverlight although Microsoft is shiftingtowards HTML5) APIs, Microsoft has taken a lot of the grunt work out of UI graphics/coding/design and multi-touch support for Ford.

If you want to imagine a next generation Ford OS simply think of a Windows 8 tablet or Windows Phone embedded in the dash with MyFord Touch-like menu options and a customized Metro UI tile-based interface.

For all the Windows 8 skepticism Ford sounds like it is solidly in the believers camp.

The linked article indicates that Windows 8 will require 5 finger touch, but only if a touch interface is supported (as opposed to Windows 7's requirement for 2 finger touch).

Obviously Windows 7 does not require touch, though to use effectively without a keyboard & mouse then 2 finger touch is a must.

Since most Windows 8 laptop/desktop users will probably have a keyboard & mouse (which will provide all the same functionality) it seems unfathomable to me that touch is required.

Of course I still have not seen an official Microsoft statement indicating that the Metro UI will be required for desktops, so maybe I just need to dig into Microsoft's press releases.

"So, I think the same thing of the music industry. They can't say that they're losing money, you know what I'm saying. They just probably don't have the same surplus that they had." -- Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA